Machine for making tile.



L. B. RICHMOND, H. S. HOLMES & L. R. BECK.

MACHINE POR MAKING TILE;

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 25, 1910.

, 998,637. Patented July 25, 1911.

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LEWIS B. RICHMOND, HORACE S. HOLMES, AND LUKE R. BECK, OF ST. JOHNS,MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed February 25, 1910. Serial No. 545,829.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEWIS B. RICHMOND, HORACE S. HOLMES, and LUKE B.BECK, all citizens of the United States of America, residing at St.Johns, in the county of Clinton and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Tile, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to machines for manufacturing tile and moreparticularly designed for use in the manufacture of tile from sand andcement.

The invention consists in the means employed for compacting and moldingthe plastic material; further, in the means for automatically liftingthe hopper' to permit of detachment of the mold at the completion of themolding operation; further, in the means for quickly restoring the partsfor a succeeding operation; and, further, in various features ofconstruction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings-Figure l is a vertical central section, partly inelevation through the machine; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on lineX-X, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a section on line Y-Y,Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is asection on line Z-Z.

A is a suitable stand or support upon which is mounted an upright frameB preferably consisting of parallel side bars and a plurality ofconnecting cross bars B B2.

C is a cylindrical mold provided with arms D for the opening of thesame, and having a locking latch D for holding the mold normally closed.The mold C rests centrally upon a detachable holder plate A* upon thetable or stapel A, said plate being provided with an opening A of lesserdiameter than the mold, making an inwardlyprojecting flange A? and asurrounding guide flange AS which centers the mold. At the top of themold is a hopper E which is provided with a flange E for engaging themold and oppositely-projecting arms E2 which slidably engage guidebearings on the frame B.

F is a plunger or core for molding the inner face of the tile, which iscarried by a vertically-extending rod or shank G. This shank slidablyengages bearings in the arms B and B2 by which it is guided centrally inVrelation to the mold C. There is also a bearing for the shank in a bailH, which is secured to the arms E2 of the hopper.

The core F is initially arranged at the bottom of the mold in theopening A and during the molding operation is simultaneously revolvedand moved upward through the mold. This operation is elfected bythreading the upper end of the shank at F and providing a threaded nutor bearing J upon the upper cross arm B. There is also a bevel gearwheel K, which is feathered upon the shank G above the cross arm B2,said wheel being held from longitudinal movement by a sleeve I upon theshank thereabove extending to the upper cross bar B.

L is a coperating bevel gear wheel upon :i crank shaft M journaled inbearings on the frame and provided with an operating crank M. Thus byrotating the crank M rotary motion is communicated to the shank andplunger, while the threaded engagement of the shank with the nut Jcauses its upward movement, thereby elevating the plunger wit-hin themold.

The plunger F is provided with a cylindrical portion, which is of thesize of the internal diameter of the mold and tile, and of the apertureA in the holder A4. Above this cylindrical portion are deflector wingsN, which during the rotation of the plunger will force the plasticmaterial from the center toward the periphery of the mold. ThereV isalso a sleeve O upon the shank extending upward from the plunger andforming a bearing which, as the plunger reaches the upper end of themold, will engage with the bail H, lifting the hopper to disengage thesame from the mold. The base of the hop perhas a flat annular portionE3, the opening through which is equal to the diameter of the plunger,said annular portion forming a top molding rim for retaining the plasticmaterial.

The nut J, which engages the threaded portion of the shank, ispreferably formed of separable sections, so that by opening thesesections the shank and plunger may be permitted to drop without thenecessity of screwing the same downward by the rotation of the crank M.Beneath the bed A is a bearing P for receiving the impact of the plungerand for supporting the latter in proper position at the beginning of themolding operation. This bearing P is in the form of a cross h'eadslidably engaging vertical guides Q and yieldably held in position bysprings R. At the center of the cross head is a bearing P for receivingthe impact of the plunger- In the operation of the machine, the mold isfirst placed upon the holding plate, the hopper E is then engaged withthe upper end of the mold and the nut J is opened to permit the downwardmovement of the plunger and shank until the former rests upon thebearings P. In this position it will fill the opening A, completing thebot-- tom of the mold. The plastic material is then filled into thehopper and passes downward into the mold. Motion is imparted to theplunger by the rotation of the crank M which through the shaft M, bevelgear wheels L and K revolves the plunger, while the nut J causes thegradual rising of the same, forcing it upward through the plasticmaterial in the mold. During this movement, the rotation of the curvedwings N will force the crimped material outward from the centerl of themold toward the periphery thereby clearing a path for the upwardmovement of the plunger, and also compacting the material against thesides of the mold, this operation continuing until the upper end of themold is reached. Just before the completion of the upper movement of theplunger, the sleeve O will engage the bail H, lifting the same and thehopper E, thereby completely freeing the mold, and permitting it to belifted from the holding plate and replaced by another mold. It will eobserved that in this operation the annular portion A2 in the bottom ofthe mold forms a molding face for the lower end of the tile, and theannular portion E3 upon the hopper correspondingly molds the upper endof the tile. These flanges prevent ragged edges at the end of the moldbody.

The purpose of making the holding plate A4 detachable is to permit ofexchanging plates to fit molds of varying size. Thus where a larger orsmaller mold is used, the plate A4 is detached and a plate of suitablesize substituted.

That we claim as our invention is:

l. In a machine for forming hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination with a mold, a plunger, means raising the plunger throughthe mold, means for permitting the return of the plunger by gravity, anda cushioned bearing at the lower end of said mold for receiving theimpact of the pluner. l g 2. In a machine for forming hollow bodies ofplastic material, the combination of a mold, a plunger, means forraising the plunger through the mold, means permitting the return of theplunger by gravity, a supporting base for the mold apertured for thepassage of the plunger, and a spring support bearing beneath said basefor receiving the impact of the plunger.

3. In a machine for forming hollow bodies, of plastic material, thecombination with a mold, a supporting bed therefor, having a centralaperture of lesser diameter than the mold leaving an annular iange, ahopper detachably engaging the upper end of said mold, having acorresponding aperture, an annular flange, a plunger for fitting saidapertures in the hopper and base, and

means for raising the plunger through the mold from a position inengagement with the aperture in the bed to a position in engagement withthe aperture in the hopper.

4. In a machine for forming hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination with a mold, of a bed on which said mold is supported havingan aperture therein of lesser diameter than the mold, a hopperdetachably engaging the upper end of said mold and having acorresponding aperture, a plunger for fitting said apertures, means forreceiving said plunger through the mold and simultaneously rotating thesame, a defiector in advance of said plunger rotating therethrough forforcing the plastic material radially outward against the sides of themold, and means for engaging said hopper by said plunger at thecompletion of its upward movement to lift and disengage the hopper fromthe mold.

5. In a machine for forming hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination of al supporting bed, an upright frame thereon, a moldsupported on said bed, a plunger, a shank for said plunger extendingupward and slidably and rotatably engaging bearings on said frame, meansfor rotating and simultaneously raising said shank detachably seated onthe upper end of said frame, a bearino on said hopper slidably engaginga guice on said frame, and means on said plunger for engaging saidhopper to lift and disengage the same from said mold.

6. In a machine for molding hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination of a bed, an upright frame thereon, a mold supported on saidbed, a hopper detachably engaging the upper end of said mold, a bearingon said hopper slidably engaging a guide on said frame, a plunger, ashank for said plunger, bearings on said frame for alining said shankand plunger axially with said mold, means for rotating andlongitudinally moving said shank and plunger, and a bearing on saidhopper engaging said shank forming a guide for the latter, and means fordisengaging the hopper from the mold.

7. In a machine for molding hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination of a base, an upright frame thereon, a mold supported onsaid base, a guide bearing on said base for positioning said mold, ahopper slidably engaging said frame in alinement with the bearing onsaid base and having a plunger for engaging the upper end of said mold,a plunger movable axially through said mold, a shank for raising saidplunger, bearings on said frame for said shank, means for raising androtating said shank, and a bearing on said hopper engaging said shankfor guiding the latter and for lifting said hopper from engagement withthe mold.

8. In a machine for forming hollow bodies of plastic material, thecombination with an apertured supporting base, an upright frame thereon,a mold resting upon said base, a guide bearing for positioning said moldon said base concentric with said aperture with an annular portionwithin the mold surrounding the aperture, a hopper slidably engagingsaid frame and detachably engaging the upper end of said mold having anaperture alined with the aperture in said base and of correspondingsize, a plunger fitting the apertures in said hopper and base, a shankfor raising and rotating said plunger guided in bearings on said framein alinement with the apertures in said hopper and base, and means forsimultaneously rotating and raising said shank.

9. A machine for forming hollow bodies of plastic material, comprising abed, exchangeable mold holding plates, detachably secured to said bed, amold for each plate, a hopper detachably engaging the upper end of saidmold, a plunger, means for raising said plunger axially through themold, and means on said plunger for engaging said hopper to lift thesame from said mold.

In testimony whereoi:l we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

LEWIS B. RICHMOND. HORACE S. HOLMES. LUKE R. PECK.

Vitnesses:

THos. E. OoRKiN, R. C. DEXTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

